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MAF Electronic Flight Bag: Game Changer

  • Published
  • By LT COL TED WELCH
  • AMC/A3R
Summer 2014 --  Two years ago this spring, the Mobility Air Forces (MAF) Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) Program was born when innovative Airmen sought to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of MAF aircrews. The EFB initiative exploits technology, empowering our aircrews to safely move and sustain forces across the MAF employment spectrum of airlift, air refueling, and aeromedical evacuation.

The efforts of these innovative Airmen and the EFB initiative are linked to important goals of reducing energy use and a 2011 Presidential Executive Order that mandates publication and printing limitations wherever practicable. To articulate potential savings and applications of the EFB, AMC completed a Business Case Analysis that showed fuel (weight) and print savings via delivery of eFLIP (electronic flight information publications) and ePubs (digital publications, including Instructions and TOs). Based on a potential annual cost avoidance of over $5.8 million dollars, AMC purchased and distributed EFBs to aircrews in 2012, and later in 2013 to our aeromedical crews.

This new transformational commercial mobile technology came with a host of challenges; many associated with data security and several are still being addressed such as encryption, federal information processing standards, and security technical implementation guides. While working through these unique complexities, the focus is also on advancing/expanding the utility of this game changing technology for our MAF aircrews as soon as possible.

All these challenges and efforts are tackled by strong MAF teammates from our EFB Integration Office, which is dedicated to operationalizing the employment, management, and sustainment of the EFB program. The team collaborates daily with key stakeholders and process owners across the DoD.

MAF EFB Program efforts/achievements in employment and management include:

EMPLOYMENT

  • AMC and HAF/A3O approved EFB for ePubs use during critical phases of flight, including below 10,000'; AMC also released expanded/updated employment guidance through the EFB CONEMP 2.0.
  • eFLIP operational evaluations have recently been completed by our AMC Test and Evaluation Squadron. The final report is currently being drafted. The final report will be used to support the transition and HAF/A3O approval for paperless MAF operations (ePubs and eFLIP).
  • Continued development of Government Off-the-Shelf (GOTS) EFB applications. The KC-10 Weight and Balance app is currently fielded; while C-5, KC-135 and C-130 Weight and Balance apps are under development for release in the near future.

MANAGEMENT

  • DoD's CIO Commercial Mobile Device Implementation Plan directed DISA to create an enterprise solution to support controlled unclassified information mobility requirements. DISA's Mobile Device Management (MDM) service provides management and Mobile Application Management (MAM) through a contracted service with Mobile Iron.
  • When the MDM required Tier 1 "Help Desk" support service is in place, the AMC team will initiate a large scale MDM provisioning of EFB devices. This should begin in May 2014 and take the remainder of 2014 to fully implement.
  • DISA MDM services provide the ability to secure and control mobile devices. It enables mobile security, integrity verification, risk management, app management, and configuration compliance. Moreover, it allows EFB users to enable WIFI for access to a multitude of aviation related apps and information from anywhere with connectivity.
  • MAM provides a platform for certifying, deploying, managing and analyzing mobile applications. Both GOTS and Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) applications are available to MAF EFB users via Mobile Iron's "Apps at Work" application store. The MAF apps store is currently stocked with 23 apps which include AeroWx, Calculator XL, Adobe Reader, Phaero, GoodReader, Google Earth, USA Today, Jepp Mobile FD, B737 MRG, DCO Connect, PKard Reader, EFB Pro, KC-10 Weight and Balance.

SUMMARY

In Gen Welsh's Vision for the USAF, he states "Now, more than ever, we need bold leaders at every level who encourage innovation, embrace new thinking, and take prudent risks to achieve mission success." There is no finer example of that for our MAF aircrews than the EFB.

This program was born by Airmen looking for smarter ways to do business through improving operational effectiveness, increasing safety and situational awareness, and optimizing our valuable resources. To date, only a small portion of EFB processing power and connectivity capability are being harnessed. However, the future is extremely bright ... so stand by for more.


EFB VISION
Aircrew's Single Point of Entry for Operational Effectiveness Integrated and responsive Rapid Global Mobility operationally enhanced by delivering, receiving, and analyzing pertinent and customizable data fusion at decision points within the hands of each MAF aircrew member.

EFB Mission
Customizable Data Fusion for Mission Accomplishment EFB delivers fused data at each decision point, connecting to streamline operations, enhance safety, situational awareness, aircrew knowledge, morale and efficiencies in flight duty periods by reducing crew workload and by eliminating paper products and flight-deck clutter.